Old bus station, now viewed as an architectural gem. Most stations like this have been torn down.

More findings from the detritus on our desktop. Notes from a bus trip to Denver a couple of years ago. We much prefer bus travel to flying, when possible and depending upon start and finish locations.

So, three short sketches. Japanese woman heading back to her home in Baker City, Oregon, writes down a great recipe for cabbage salad dressing. 1/2 cup oil, 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar, 3-4 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp sale and 1/2 tsp pepper. Haven’t tried it yet.

As we leave Baker City, passengers getting back on the bus comment on the beauty of the still snow-covered mountains illuminated by the setting sun.

Second sketch: eavesdropping on passenger behind me chatting with his seatmate. Says he is a Louisiana alligator hunter. We wonder if he is fantasizing, until he gives corroborating details. He says he can’t keep his hides, but has to sell them to a monopoly buyers group.

“It’s easier to get one (hide) from New York than from myself. There’s a lot of politics involved,” he says. Pause. “A lot of politics.”

He has a son who is 6’6″ tall and weights 340 lbs. “When he shows up (in a bar) everyone gets quiet! He eats like a horse.”

On killing alligators: “I kill them with a tomahawk. You can only kill about 10 before you have to skin them, because of the warm climate. After you skin them, you put the hides in a solution. The meat is also sold. It tastes good. It’s white meat.

“The market is controlled by a monopoly…, well, a cooperative.” He also leads hunting trips. He quit drinking, then smoking. Never did other drugs. This in response to a comment from his seat mate.

End of conversation. It’s easy to tell your life story to someone who is interested, but will never see you again. He gets off the bus and we notice he is extremely handsome. He had a deep, sexy voice, wore a dark leather jacket, light-colored mocassins and camo clothes. Whew!

Third sketch: In a rest stop at a cafeteria/truck stop in the middle of nowhere, around 11 pm. A man at a table with a trucker’s phone is using the phone to talk to someone. “I’ve had enough of truck drivers and cops. I need help. I’ll be in Salt Lake City at 4 a.m. I need help.” He’s crying.

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About InvestingforOne

I've been investing in various assets by myself using a discount broker for many years. Over that time, I've developed some theories that others might find useful. Plus, there is more to investing than money. Time, talent, work, friends, family all go into developing a good and satisfactory strategy.